That One Person
by FuckMePumps
Summary: Years after the Titans split up, Raven returns to the Tower and finds not only memories, but someone from her past, very close to her heart. But can this newfound lost love overcome the trials and surprises they might have to face? Threepart RobRae.
1. White Houses

**Ooh, I've got a new story! Don't worry, this won't get in the way of me updating my other ones, coz the other two chapters of this one is already written! Okay, now go read!**

**Oh yeah! Don't own Vanessa Carlton's White Houses! Enjoy!**

**-**

_**There's always that one person**_

_**That will always have your heart**_

_**You never see it coming **_

_**Coz you're blinded from the start**_

_**Know that you're that one for me**_

_**It's clear for everyone to see**_

_**Oh baby, oh**_

_**You will always be my boo**_

_**-My Boo, Usher ft. Alicia Keys**_

**-**

"I'm here." Raven murmured as she stepped foot outside the airport. She closed her eyes and inhaled the different smells of Jump City. She opened them to the many shops and establishments that inhabited the streets. It had changed; a lot too, but it was still home. Of course, the fact that this was the first time she's been here in eight years didn't change anything. There were countless things she wanted to do while she was here, but one was her top priority.

She hailed a cab, and went in foot first, putting her bag down beside her.

The driver adjusted the rearview mirror to look at her.

"Where to, miss?"

"Titans Tower Museum." She answered.

Aside from some minimal traffic, she had a pretty smooth ride, as well as a good view of the city. There were tons of restaurants and new offices that were built since she was last here, but she still recognized some of them. One simply said, "Pizza."

She almost wanted to smile as she remembered that it was the gang's favorite eat-out place.

"_So, what do we get?" Cyborg asked, peering from the menu in front of his face. Then his eyes lit up, and without even waiting for a reply, "I know! This sounds good: Quintuple Beefy Bacon Burger Super Superb Supreme."_

_Beastboy practically erupted. "Hello? What do you mean order meat? I am meat!"_

"_Come on, BB. I advise you to stop making a big deal out of eating yourself and let the rest of us eat what we want. See, okay now, Rob man, any suggestions?"_

"_Ah, whatever you get, it must have olives and mushrooms." Robin said, fiddling with something on his communicator._

_Before the boys could argue again, Starfire spoke up. "Friends, I propose for us to get a pizza with pickles, bananas, and mint frosting!"_

_No one really listened to her, because they all knew she still insisted on ordering those toppings even after Robin told her they don't go with pizzas._

_Cyborg and Beastboy screamed at each other for awhile, until Raven, who just kept on repeating the phrase 'Can we please just order something?' got tired of it._

_Eyes turning white, she levitated from her seat, with her hands glowing black from magic energy._

"_Guyssss…" She hissed, her voice having the same amount of venom as she used when talking to villains, "If you want, I'll just go to the kitchen and make the pizza, and fry you for the toppings unless you make up your mind! And now! Kapeesh?"_

_As she floated back to her seat, Cyborg and Beastboy were cowering in fear, Starfire had a blank expression on her face, and Robin was grinning, almost gratefully._

_They finally ordered a half-meat, half-vegan pizza, with extra olives and mushrooms._

"Uh, miss, we're here."

Raven was snapped back to reality by the driver's voice. She looked outside the window to come face-to-face with a "T" shaped building. She wondered how the cab got there across the bay, when she noticed a bridge connecting the city to the banks of the small island.

She turned the knob and started to get out of the taxi, absentmindedly using her powers to levitate her luggage.

"Oh yeah, how much is it?" She tapped the driver's shoulder before getting out.

The driver, who looked like he was in his early fifties, smiled, eyes twinkling behind round-rimmed spectacles.

"Well, for you miss, free of charge."

"Huh? Why?"

"You were one of the Teen Titans, weren't you?"

"Oh," She muttered, surprised. "How did you know?"

"You're Raven, right? You used your magic to make your bag float, and besides, I've been in this city all my life."

"Okay. Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it. This city owes you a lot, and I've always been waiting for a chance to thank you for saving my baby daughter before. She's in middle school now, you know?"

"Glad to hear it." Raven said, closing the door of the cab. She meant it.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

After the Titans broke up, or as the papers liked to put it, Jump City turned the Tower into a museum, dedicated to the Teen Titans. Not only did it make most of the population happy, it was also one of the city's most famous tourist spots.

As a matter of fact, right now, a long line was gathered at the foot of the Tower, armed with cameras, videocams and other recording equipment.

Of course Raven, who was wearing a long-sleeved dark purple pinstripe dress (think Alicia Keys in the My Boo video), blended right in.

"Your ticket, miss?" A man, in what seemed to be the uniform of the museum staff, asked her when it was finally her turn.

"Oh, what? A ticket?" Raven thought about using her powers and getting free entrance like with the cab ride, but decided to patronize her city instead.

"Okay. I don't have one. Where do I buy it?"

"Right here is fine, miss."

"Oh. How much?"

Raven's eyes widened. Maybe the city was making too much money by displaying her and her team mates' lives in their own old home. Oh well, what you see is what you get.

She thrust the money towards the staff member, and entered the Tower.

She skipped going with the tour guide who was showing the rest of the crowd the med-lab, the garage, etc. What she really wanted was to see was what the decorators did to the rec room and their bedrooms.

She arrived at the top floor, and as the elevator opened, she couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Everything in the rec room was posed, objects seemingly in halt from fluid motion, as if someone had stopped time. The big-screen TV had a scene from a video game, and the two joysticks were placed on the table, as if someone had left them there, next to a bottle of soda, a glass half-filled with the beverage and some popcorn in a bowl. On the sofa was an opened leather book, like someone had been reading it. Nearby was a stereo, loud rock music blasting from its speakers.

'It's just like when we were here,'She thought.

"_You're going down on this game, you overgrown tin can!" Beastboy ranted, his fingers already positioned on the controls._

_That one made Cyborg laugh out loud. "In your dreams, BB! I totally kicked your butt in six whole games!"_

"_Yeah, well, I rock at this one. Prepare for a whole lotta whoopin'!"_

_Beside him was Starfire, watching their games with genuine interest._

"_Does anyone desire any popcorn? Raven?" She held out her bowl to the dark bird, whose only reply was a plain 'No.'_

"_Perhaps you would like a glassful of soda?"_

_Raven lowered her book to meet Starfire's eyes. "No, Starfire, I do not desire any popcorn or soda."_

_Understanding, Starfire went over to Robin, who was standing beside his stereo._

"_Friend Robin, do you wish to partake in this soda?"_

"_I'll pass, Star," He said, just as a bouncy song played._

_Crashed on the floor when I moved in_

_This little bungalow with some strange new friends_

_Stayed up too late, and I'm too thin_

_We promised each other it's till the end_

_Now it's--_

_Cringing, Robin turned off the stereo. "I hate these kind of songs. Too… happy."_

_He turned to Starfire. "Actually, Starfire, give me some of that soda. I'm thirsty."_

And then, just to serve her memories, the same song played on the currently playing stereo.

Raven almost smiled, then a frown clouded over her face as she heard the words.

It sort of described them.

_**Crashed on the floor when I moved in**_

_**This little bungalow with some strange new friends**_

Well, she didn't exactly crash on the floor, but their first meeting was not far from the word. And they weren't really in a bungalow, more like a "T" shaped building, but the song was damn right about the 'strange new friends' part.

_It was a cool night, and it was pretty breezy outside, precisely why Beastboy had his window open. None of the other Titans knew where Cyborg was taking them tonight, and Raven was no exception._

_Since there was nothing else to do besides stare blankly into space, Raven sat on her usual seat in the T-car, between Beastboy and Robin, while Starfire was in the passenger seat, and Cyborg was of course, in the driver's seat._

_She observed her team mates. It had been several months since the Teen Titans were born, and she had enough information to make her impressions on them._

_She looked at the rearview mirror and saw Cyborg's face reflected on it. He was okay, she assumed. A bit too addicted to the techno stuff, but it does the team good. How else was he able to build the amazing vehicles for them: the T-car, the T-sub/ship, and the R-cycle, made especially for Robin. Sometimes he acted all goofy when he was with Beastboy, quiet when he was with her, he tried to be patient when he was with Starfire, and was competitive, in a good way, when he was with Robin. She thought he was more like the team's big brother, trying to be what they needed when they needed it._

_Beside him sat Starfire, still dazzled by all the buttons in front of her. Even though all of them were strangers to each other before they teamed up, she was still the ultimate newcomer. Not only was she the last to join, but she was also from another planet, and very new to all the earth customs. Robin had tried to explain most of it to her, but there was little she could understand. There was another thing about her: her naivety, which made people assume that she was annoying because of her endless questions. But she's actually just trying to fit in, so she acts all friendly even though she's usually unaware of what was going on. She means well. Misunderstood, yes, that was the word for her._

_A particularly cold breeze blew in the car, giving her a chill. She tilted her head to where it had come from, where Beastboy also was. She considered throwing a sarcastic remark to him, when she decided against it. Tonight he looked… happy, truly happy. Everyone considered him to be the jokester, or the goofball of the team. He was always cracking jokes, mostly bad ones, at the worst of times, and was always playing pranks, even though he knew it would piss them off. But those people don't know him. They don't know that while he seemed cheerful and giddy, those jokes were his way of forgetting about the comments of people about his appearance, his way to get attention. That's why he was happy to join the Titans; they were also different. They wouldn't laugh at him for standing out. They understood what it was like. And they did._

'_We do understand.' She told herself._

"_Raven?"_

_Raven peered at Robin curiously. "What?" Her voice was cold, and piercing, even though she didn't mean for it to. _

"_I heard you say something."_

_Raven nearly blushed, realizing she said her sentence out loud._

"_I…" She breathed deeply, trying to make her voice as gentle as possible. "I didn't say anything, Robin.'_

"_Oh. Okay." He answered, focusing his stare out of the window as he had before._

_Raven kept her gaze on him. His spiked hair blew softly because of the wind that was entering the car. She loved the way it did that. His firm chin rested on his arm that was perched on the window. She could see the side of his face, the outline of his tall nose and the masked eyes, the streak where his forehead stopped and where his hairline started. He was quite handsome, there was no denying that, and nearly all of the teen female population in this city thought so. He was constantly chased by die-hard fans and nosy reporters more than any of the other Titans. Beastboy would have loved that kind of attention, but Raven knew that Robin thought otherwise. He liked to stay out of the limelight, and preferred to be mysterious. That was what the mask was for. Well, partly. It was also for security against the villains they constantly fought. Not really for his safety, but he feared for the safety of his team. She sometimes wondered why he chose this life along with them, rather than the life of normalcy he could acquire. Unlike the rest of them, he couldbe normal, like everyone else. He was the most human; he wasn't the one who's part-robot, the one with genetically-altered DNA, the one who had demon roots, or the one from another planet. But he lost a family because of evil people, and now, it was like they were now his family and he would have given up anything not to lose one again. He would fight to protect them, wished for them to be out of harm's way, and even give his life up for them. He might act demanding, bossy and aloof sometimes, but he cared for them, more than he cared for himself, and that was all that mattered._

_Raven felt the tires of the car screech, meaning that they were finally at their destination._

"_Okay, y'all. We're here!" Cyborg announced cheerfully._

"_Cy, where exactly is here?" Robin asked, stepping out of the car._

_His eyes came into contact with a warehouse, with neon lights and loud, blaring music coming out of it. The second party of the week._

_**Stayed up too late, and I'm too thin**_

_**We promised each other it's till the end**_

Raven's eyes began to mist. They did promise each other that it's till the end, but now it seemed that promises were meant to be broken. The day when Starfire told them about Blorthog, and Rekmos, when they all thought it was a joke, and the same day when Starfire returned from the future and told them what was going to happen was still clear in her head. They thought that the day the Tamaranean described would never come, but it did. And it came too soon than what anyone would have liked.

_**Now it's spinning empty bottles**_

_**It's the five of us**_

_**With pretty-eyed boys girls die to trust**_

_**I can't resist the day**_

_**No I can't resist the day**_

_**Jenny screams out and it's no pose**_

_**When she dances, she goes and goes**_

_**Beer through the nose on an inside joke**_

_**I'm so excited, I haven't spoken**_

_**And she's so pretty and she's so sure**_

_**Maybe I'm more clever than a girl like her**_

_**Summer's all in bloom**_

_**Summer's ending soon**_

She walked around in the room, looking at pictures of the Titans the museum decorators put on the wall. They did far more outrageous things than what the song had said. Far more.

"_All set?" Robin asked the team, who were crouched into their specific positions._

"_Yes." They said in unison._

"_Okay. Titans, go!" He barked, as if they were in the battlefield rather than just playing a prank on the pesky reporters that had been waiting for a story on their doorstep all week. Beastboy suggested the idea of the prank the first day, but it was only until today that the Titans got really irritated… and desperate._

_Robin opened the door, sending the hoard of paparazzi into the Tower._

"_I didn't know they got that many," Raven said under her breath._

_Robin patiently smiled for all the cameras that were clicking at him._

"_I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting all week long, but we finally have what you want." He flashed them a grin again, as one-hundred cameras clicked._

"_A story." He brushed some imaginary dirt off his tuxedo, going over to Raven._

"_Raven and I," He began, pretending to be excited. "Are in love and we will be…"_

_None of the reporters let him finish as they thrust their microphones at Robin's mouth._

"_How will you deal with your relationship while crimefighting?"_

"_Do you think your relationship would get in the way of anything?"_

"_When did you realize that you had these feelings for each other?"_

"_Was Starfire jealous? Or perhaps Beastboy?"_

_Raven saw Robin smirk, and she thought for a second that he won't be able to maintain his performance. It all just too funny._

"_Ladies and gentlemen of the press, please, quiet down and let me finish my statement. As I said, Raven and I will be…"_

"…_married."_

_The paparazzi squealed in delight, and one has to wonder how they didn't figure that out with Robin's tuxedo, Raven's bridal gown, and the fact that the entire hallway was decorated with flowers._

"_How did you arrange everything?"_

"_When will you be married?"_

"_Who's your wedding planner?"_

"_Who will you invite?"_

"_Where's the venue?"_

"_Do you think anyone might try to ruin it?"_

_It was Raven who spoke next. "Oh, we will be married right here, right now." She nearly burst out laughing. These people were too gullible._

"_How?"_

"_Who will wed you?"_

_Raven giggled, as if for effect. The cameras followed her every move._

"_Cyborg will wed us. You see," She leaned in, as if telling them a secret. The press mimicked her._

"_He's actually a priest."_

_The members of the press nodded, understanding. _

'_Wow, if stupidity were a crime, these would be public enemies one, two and one hundred.' Raven thought mischievously. That sounded like something Beastboy would say._

_Robin took Raven's hand and led her in front of Cyborg, who was dressed according to his role and held a Bible._

"_Robin, do you accept this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"_

_Robin managed to keep a straight face by grounding his back teeth. "I do."_

_The paparazzi hoard cheered._

_Cyborg locked eyes with Raven, and she saw that the edges of his lips were curling into a smile. He bit his lip, trying to make the laughter inside him die away._

"_Raven, do you accept this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"_

_Raven blushed, but no one really paid attention. Cyborg and Robin thought she was faking it, to make it seem more authentic, and the press ate it up, but the blush was genuine._

"_I do." She said, amidst hoots and applause._

_Cyborg winked at both of them. "I now announce you husband and wife…"_

_The reporters posed their cameras, anticipating capturing the kiss on tape. _

"_You may now…"_

_Some were already even snapping pictures._

"_TAKE YOUR REVENGE ON THE PAPARAZZI THAT HAS BEEN DRIVING YOU UP THE WALL FOR SEVEN FREAKIN' DAYS!"_

_Robin, Raven, and Cyborg tore their costumes off, much to the crowd's horror. Starfire, together with Beastboy, who was currently a charging rhino, seemingly appeared out of nowhere and started to blast the press with starbolts, of course not aiming directly at them, who were panicking and scurrying away from them, like trapped bugs._

_The two drove the press away, some leaving on helicopters, some by jet ski, while some tried to swim the entire distance of the Tower from the city, and at the same time getting their equipments wet._

_The next day, news of the event was on._

_Some of the reporters told the truth about what happened._

_Some threatened to sue the Titans for abuse._

_Some even said that Raven and Robin were about to get married, but just as they were about to kiss, Starfire and Beastboy, who were jealous, crashed the wedding._

_Some said that they lied about saying Cyborg was a priest, because they couldn't find anything about him being part of any clergy._

_And the really thick-faced ones said that they were in on the whole thing, and went along with it because the Titans told them to._

_Either way, the whole team got quite a laugh out of it._

Raven shook her head, trying hard not to giggle. She remembered how they picked who was going to get married for the prank. And fate had her ending up marrying Robin. Well, not really. She left the rec room and heading for the hallway, where their renovated bedrooms were.

_**It's all right  
And it's nice not to be so alone  
But I hold on to secrets in white houses**_

Her room was the first one she saw. It still had the bold, capitalized 'RAVEN' in front, but the pad of numbers for the security codes was long gone. It was a museum, after all.

She couldn't believe she never tried redecorating, even though she often said stuff about trying it.

Looking around the dark interior, she realized that Beastboy was right. Halloween did come early in her room. Anyway, creepy was her thing back then, before she defeated her father.

Smiling, she walked out and came face to face with Starfire's room. The walls were pink, the bed had a canopy and it was full of stuffed animals. The museum staff must have overdone it. The tamaranian's room wasn't that… pink.

She cringed as she took in the walls and the preppy décor, trying hard not to barf. She might have left the goth act years ago, but no way was she ever gonna like the color pink!

She left hurriedly, going in instead to Beastboy's room. Now this is okay. Punk bands (from ten years ago) adorned the walls while clothes were scattered on the floor, weird toys were on the dresser, and the television was on. A cartoon. Perfect.

Next on the list was Cyborg's room. It was pretty dull, with grey walls and a bunch of techno stuff. Even the bed (was that what it was?) was just a plain old platform.

Lastly, there was Robin's room. A big sign on the door. 'Closed to the general public from Sundays to Saturdays. Sorry for the inconvenience. Normal visiting hours will be resumed shortly.'

Raven shrugged. What the heck, she was a former Titan anyway. Certainly 'the general public' did not include her. Using her powers, she phased through the door. It was dark inside, and she fumbled around for the light switch.

When the light was turned on, it seemed like the whole room was covered in newspaper. She rubbed her eyes for a moment. Oh, that's right. Not entirely the whole room. Just something like 60, or even 70 percent. She ran her hand over the clippings taped on the walls, browsing some of the articles. Most were about numerous other villains, but articles about Slade dominated. Her brow furrowed, remembering how obsessed her leader really was about the madman.

"_No luck. He still won't come out." Cyborg sighed, frustrated. Starfire, Beastboy and him had tried to coax Robin out of the room, to take a night off with them, but to no avail. "He says he's too busy."_

"_You got that right, too busy to have fun!" Beastboy piped up, frowning._

"_Well, Raven, your turn." The team said, turning their gazes on her._

"_Me? Why me? If you guys tried, and failed, what makes you think I can get him out?"_

"_He'll listen to you." Cyborg blurted out.. "You two… you're like… two peas in a pod. Long-lost twins."_

"_Yeah, it's like you share the same brain!" Beastboy included._

"_Yes. Presumably friends Beastboy and Cyborg are correct." Starfire said, almost sheepishly, like she was ashamed to admit it._

_Raven put up her hood, to hide the tiny, even barely there blush that was creeping up her cheeks. Why was she blushing, anyway?_

"_Fine. Fine. Here goes…"_

_She took a deep breath and knocked quietly with her knuckles._

"_I don't wanna go out. I have to work on the new lead." Came the agitated and impatient voice of the Boy Wonder from inside._

"_Let me try to convince you anyway. You gonna open this or do I have to go in without your permission?"_

_There was a brief pause, and they heard several buttons being pressed, and the door opened._

"_What do you want?"_

"_You know what we want, Robin. We want you to stop researching about Slade for at least one night to have fun. You're being such a killjoy. You're turning into me." Raven persisted._

_Robin heaved a sigh. "Raven, I am you." He said, proving everyone's suspicions. "Come in." Everyone started to rush in, when Robin held up a hand._

"_Guys, Raven only. You've had your chances."_

_Cyborg, Beastboy, and especially Starfire looked crestfallen. Raven fought the urge to smile as she entered the room._

_Her eyes rested on his desk. On top of it was his laptop, a map of the city, a couple pieces of paper covered in cross marks, and a few more articles._

"_Looks like you're making progress." She remarked sarcastically._

"_If you're just gonna throw a few ironic comments, you better leave…"_

"_No. I'm sorry. But you do know I intend to succeed in my goal to get you out of this stuffy room, don't you?"_

_Robin crossed his arms. "Yeah, and I also intend to stop you in your goal. Raven, you out of all people should know how important this is…"_

"_I do know, Robin." Raven put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's important. But it's also important for you not to get carried away. You're isolating yourself."_

_Robin looked at her straight in the eye. "Then you must know that I'm not doing this just for a hobby, don't you? I'm doing this for the city, for the people…_

"_For my team. For you guys."_

"_If you're really doing this for us, do remember how many days you sent us to investigate possible leads and how many hours you told us to research about Slade. Do us a favor, Robin. Do yourself a favor. Just one night out. That's all we're asking from you." She put hesitant hands to her hips._

_Robin dragged long fingers through his spiked hair. "You know, if you put it that way…"_

"_It's all up to you to decide. We'll wait fifteen minutes for you in the rec room, if you bother to come."_

_Raven left without another word._

"_So, what did he say?"_

"_Is he coming?"_

"_I told him we'll wait for him for a couple of minutes. If he really doesn't wanna come, we can't persuade him to."_

_They waited on the sofa._

"_Okay, ten seconds left. Ten, nine, eight…" Beastboy chanted, itching to leave._

"_Give it up, Beastboy. So, where to tonight?" A voice form the doorway interrupted._

"_Robin!" Starfire rushed to hug him, while Beastboy jumped up and down. "Yahoo!"_

_Cyborg looked at Raven meaningfully. "Toldya so."_

A door from another side of the room she didn't know existed opened, disrupting her memories. A figure came out.

"Who's there?" A deep, nearly familiar voice called out.

Raven froze. She wasn't supposed to be in here, but now she was trapped.

The figure came closer.

"I—I'm sorry, sir. I'll leave right away…" She stammered uselessly.

The figure stepped into light. It was a tall young man, in his early twenties, with long jet black hair in a low ponytail, in a long-sleeved v-neck navy blue sweater with the sleeves rolled up til the elbows and a plain skin-tight white shirt, and black denim pants. Beneath the shirt were the easy muscles of someone who was born with them. He wore black sunglasses.

"Robin?" Raven's voice came out small and shy, peering to get a better look at the now-named stranger.

**Hehehe… cliffie! Now, if you ever want to see chapter two, you better **

**REVIEW!**

**And comments, suggestions, or even criticisms please! I need backup! AND JUST THIS ONCE, I'M ASKING: NO FLAMES! I'M TOO HAPPY! )**


	2. On The Floor

**a/n: **Hehe… after long periods of waiting, dear readers, guess what? I'm back! Now, what the hell are you waiting for, Christmas? Read now before you get old and wrinkly like my dear buddies Mr. Raisin and Mrs. Prune.

**d:** Don't own TT, not the comic, or the cartoon, or the 6th season that was cancelled… and nor do I won the song 'On the Floor' by 'Spongecola.'

**-**

"Robin?" Raven's voice came out small and shy, peering to get a better look at the now-named stranger.

The man lowered his sunglasses, revealing stunning blue eyes, which were brought out more by the blue sweater he was wearing.

"Ohmigod. Raven? Rae, is that you?"

"Robin!" She shrieked, running to embrace him. That's how you would react when a friend you haven't seen for eight years shows up at the same place at the same time on the same day you return to your old home.

He seemed only happy to return the hug. "Raven, I can't believe it's you. I was just thinking about you."

"You were?" Raven asked incredulously, then immediately regretted it. The past is the past, and she can't return to it. They both agreed to that. "Oh, I mean, yeah. So what are you doing here?"

He smiled. One of his brief, dazzling smiles that she remembered. She was falling again, damn it!

"Oh, just getting back some of my stuff. I donated most of the Robin things to the museum, but I want some of it too. He pointed to the box beside him. There were lots of books, and some framed photographs. She took one from the pile. It was taped in the center.

"Is this…?"

"It is."

The photo showed the two of them with small secret smiles on their faces.

"_Hey." Raven sat down beside Robin on the roof. It was Christmas Day._

"_Why aren't you opening your presents? You have a lot from your fans."_

_No reply._

"_You know, it's Christmas. Even I am trying to cheer up a bit."_

_Still no reply._

"_What's wrong with you, really?" Raven's voice grew sharp._

"_Star and me broke up the other day."_

_Raven was stunned. So that's why they acted so down since they finished shopping._

_She thought for a while about the right thing to say. "Oh. Why is that?"_

"_We couldn't agree on some stuff. I don't need your pity." His head sank into his arms._

"_Maybe. But you do need my help."_

_His head shot up. "Not really. I'm just grieving." He said half-jokingly… half-seriously?_

"_Yeah. But you do need to know you don't have to."_

"_What makes you so sure?"_

"_Remember Malchior? I was sad for awhile, but I got over it. Besides, at least you find out she's not the right girl for you. Better this than ending up with the wrong person. Now that's a lifetime worth regretting."_

_Robin stared at her. She had no idea how true those words were…_

"_Listen, um, Raven… this is kinda weird but…"_

"_Spill it, Boy Wonder."_

"_I was supposed to give Star this, but I can't anymore, so…"_

_He drew out a tiny black box, opening it to show an expensive looking rainbow-colored ring._

"_To show my thanks to you and all, I thought maybe you could have it."_

"_Robin, it's beautiful." Raven said as she put it on._

"_It's a genuine mood ring. Now I can tell you that you're happy. See? It's turning yellow."_

"_Robin, it's amazing. Thanks. Too bad Starfire missed out on this."_

"_No, I'm kinda glad you could have it."_

"_Hey, Dudes!" Beastboy was suddenly on the roof, appearing very excited._

"_I got a new instant camera from one of my fan clubs, and I've got tons of film! Say cheese!"_

_Without hesitation from the possibly dire consequences, he took a shot of the two birds. A picture fell out, which Robin grabbed just as instantly._

"_Hmm, I like this photo. Can I have it, BB?" Robin asked. _

"_Yeah, yeah, sure. Lemmesee first!"_

_After a brief look at the picture, Beastboy started singing with an off-pitch voice. "Raven and Robin sitting on a tree. K-I-S-S-I…"_

"_Give me that!" Robin started to yank it from the changeling's hands. They played tug-o-war for a while, until…_

_RIP!_

_The photo was torn in half._

"_Aw, darn it! Lost the evidence! See ya!" Beastboy turned into an eagle and flew away._

"_Don't forget to write a thank you note!" Raven called out._

"So you're keeping this?" Raven asked stupidly.

"Oh yeah." Robin said patiently.

"So, how are you, Robin? We haven't seen each other… in a very long time."

"Oh, I'm… fine. By the way, I dropped the Robin years ago. Call me Richard. Richard Grayson. Or Dick. Whatever." He extended a hand.

Raven gingerly put her hand inside his. "Hmm. Well, hello, Richard Grayson. How nice to see you." She smiled.

Robin… I mean Richard, smirked. "Likewise. So, um, a museum isn't really the best place for old 'friends' to catch up… wanna go get a coffee or something? My treat." He blurted out uneasily.

"Love to. And Rich?"

"Hmm?"

"I like Robin better."

"Then you're the only one I'm giving permission to call me that."

(Sorry, it would feel weird calling Robin Richard for the rest of the fic, and that's at least fifteen more Word Pages. Hehehe… carry on.)

-

"So what've you been up to lately?" Robin stirred some sugar in his decaf. "It's been a while."

Raven brought her mocha latte to her lips, sipping it as she looked at him thoughtfully. "Oh, you know, the usual. Went to New York, lived on the money left over from the Titan days, got a part-time as a model…"

Robin paused. "Not hard to believe. You've always been very beautiful, Raven." He smirked. If she hadn't known any better, she would have blushed.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, dropped that job, got a slot in a magazine, you know, 'Vertigo?'"

"Isn't that a fashion magazine? Never thought of you as a…"

"Well, yeah, we do fashion too, but we have a lot more than that. Landmarks, concerts, exhibits, event highlights, short stories, poetry, art… well, a lot of stuff."

"Oh. Cool. Wouldn't really know coz I never read an issue, but will do. You've been busy, huh?"

"Yeah."

There was a moment of silence, then Raven's eyes lit up.

"So, how about you, Boy Wonder? What have you been doing with your life?" She leaned on the table.

"Well, I lived with Bruce for awhile, got a job in Wayne, earned my own money, moved to a penthouse, got promoted and…"

He zipped open the duffel bag he had been carrying with him and pulled out a bit of a sleek black material.

He grinned. "Let's just say my crime fighting days aren't over yet."

She smiled on response. It was just like him. "So, I'm thinking you got something a little less bird-y as an alias?"

She assumed he rolled his eyes. "Duh. Well, not really. Well, you can decide for yourself…"

"What is it?"

His voice dropped an octave. "Nightwing."

"Oh."

"_Gotcha!"_

_Raven was startled. "Eep!" She chirped, jumping back from the fridge and letting go of the milk carton, making it spill on the floor._

"_Never knew you one up for a midnight snack."_

_Raven felt like brushing the smirk off his lips. "Speak of the devil."_

_He held out a hand to help her up. "Can't sleep either, huh?" Robin asked._

"_Yeah."_

_Raven started to get out the mop to wipe up the milk when he beat her to it. "Go on. Eat already. I'll take care of the dairy." _

_She nodded, grabbing an apple and a box of cookies from the fridge and seating herself at the coffee table._

_A moment later, he was there too, with an instant yogurt in hand and munching on a cookie._

_They ate quietly, neither one of them speaking._

"_That Blorthog stuff got you thinking too, huh?" Until now._

_Raven nodded again. "Just… hard to believe, that's all."_

"_Tell me about it." Robin put down the cookie. "I mean, when I started this team, I knew there were gonna be hard times… we were teenagers, after all. But, splitting up? After all we've been through? Unbelievable."_

_Raven stopped eating too. "I know. When I first joined this team, I only regarded it as business, but… now, I actually think of us as friends. Best friends, in fact." She sighed._

"_Well, we are, aren't we?" He gave her a small smile._

"_Yeah. And we aren't splitting up. Got it?" She said firmly._

_He put his hand over hers and squeezed it. "Got it."_

"Which movie, Rae?" Robin looked at the choices. After coffee, they decided to watch a movie to pass time.

"Um… my only options are The Legend of Zorro or Harry Potter." She said firmly.

"Okay, so slash Emily Rose, Flight Plan, and Cry Wolf. You sure you don't wanna watch Chicken Little?"

She gave him a dark glare. "Tell me you're joking, or I'll hurl your pompous little head to oblivion in 5 seconds. One…"

"Hey, hey. Of course I was. Hmmm… I'll pick… Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire. Has a cool trailer."

"I guess. Well, okay. Two for HP, please." She told the cashier. She popped a popcorn in her mouth as they went towards the theater.

"Never knew you were a fan of Harry Potter." Robin began.

"Neither did I with you."

"So, who's your favorite character?"

"Draco."

"House?"

"Slytherin."

"Professor?"

"Snape."

"Class?"

"D.A.D.A."

"Spell?"

"A tie between 'Sectumsempra' or 'Avada Kedavra.'"

"Hmm, pretty obvious answers, Rae." He joked.

She nudged his side.

"Ow."

"That's what you get."

"For what?"

"Being naughty."

_Raven entered the rec-room to find only one Titan sitting on the couch, playing a video game by himself. She took a seat beside him._

"_Getting a little lonely, aren't we?" she teased._

_He turned to her, thumbs running rapidly all over the controller. "Not really. Wasn't in the mode to shop for a new refrigerator."_

"_Other one's broken again? What was it this time?"_

"_Overheated. Cyborg's fault this time."_

_Raven grinned wistfully. It was the third time in two months that they broke the fridge. First, Starfire left Silkie by the cupboard and he munched on the wires; thankfully he wasn't fried. The other time was Beastboy's handiwork. They didn't really know how he managed to do it… but then, he was BB._

"_Oh yeah! Take that, Cyborg! I topped your score, AGAIN!" Robin shot up and put his fists in the air triumphantly. Raven only gazed at him amusingly._

"_FYI, Robin, Cy's not here. Maybe you'd want to gloat and smush that in his face when he's actually here to take it in."_

_He chuckled. "Yeah, maybe I should. Very helpful, Rae."_

"_Thank you."_

_Silence. Robin dropped the joystick._

"_Say, uhm, Raven? You wanna go out… sometime? I mean, the next time the fridge breaks again? Uhm… coz it's kinda pointless staying here on a Friday night… and I have a feeling this'll be happening a lot now these days…" He offered an awkward smile._

"_Sure," she said. "Just make sure it isn't YOU who'll break the fridge next."_

"_Anything for you, Raven."_

"…remember that time when Beastboy put a virus on Cy's mainframe and he went crazy?" Robin chuckled as they strolled down sidewalks.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Duh. I can even recall that he thought you were a steak and he almost ate you and I had to save you."

"Really? I don't remember that." He stroked an imaginary beard. Raven nudged his side. "But I do remember that time when we watched 'Wicked Scary' and you didn't admit that you were afraid and your powers went crazy and we fell down an elevator and I caught you? Hello, Raven, the title was 'Wicked Scary.'"

"Unfortunately, I do remember that. And did you know when… Oh!" Raven was cut off as she stumbled on a small hump in the cement. In the nick of time, Robin got a hold of her frame and prevented her from falling. She looked up to see his face inches away from hers, a smile on his lips.

"The point is, we've always got each other's back, haven't we?" He said. She had to agree on that one.

"_Wow. Why do they even bother?" Robin sighed exasperatedly as he saw the only villains they faced for the day: a handful of bank robbers armed with handguns._

"_Titans, go." He simply stated with very little zeal. All of them moved a tad sluggishly, but even at their lazy mood, the wannabe criminals were no match._

_Cyborg didn't even need to use his laser cannon. He was bullet proof, and brought down two with a swack of his massive hand._

_Starfire took one out by starbolting him; knocked out in less than a second._

_Raven successfully disarmed three simultaneously with her powers; Robin and Beastboy didn't even do anything._

"_Well, that's a wrap," said Robin, after watching on the sidelines for a while._

"_Yo Rob! Look out!" Cyborg yelled a little anxiously. Robin heard Starfire gasp in the background._

_He was about to turn around to find out what had been so interesting when he heard a loud 'boom' sound, and the next thing he knew he was on his back on the ground with Raven sprawled on top of him._

_Another bank robber, overlooked by the Titans, had gone up behind Robin and fired a shot at him, and the bullet barely missed him if not for Raven, who released her prisoners and immediately knocked him down with her weight._

_Robin didn't really notice any of this; his attention was focused on the wide amethyst eyes that were only a few centimeters from his own as soft lips locked with his. He couldn't move; his arms were trapped by her body on top of him, and even if he could, he didn't REALLY want to push her off of him._

_He didn't really need to do so, because Raven took the initiative to lift herself off him. Her cheeks were turning pink._

"_Um… sorry 'bout that." She whispered, blush unceasing._

"_Anytime." He smiled. "Hey, Raven?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Can I court you…? Or… possibly something more?"_

_She looked surprised, but not displeased. _

"_Anytime, Robin." She mustered. Suddenly…_

"_Hey lovebirds, need help standing up over there?" Cyborg's laughing voice called out._

"_No thanks." Robin called back. He stared at Raven, who was in turn staring at him. _

"_We're good."_

"Come on' Rae, I'll show you a really amazing place." He looked like a little kid as he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the bustling crowds of everyday life.

He stopped in front of a sleek black and silver-colored motorcycle. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Woah. Nice ride."

"I know." He didn't seem to be joking about that one. "Hop on." He put a helmet on his head and handed one to her.

"You've got to be kidding."

"What's to kid about?"

She realized that he was actually serious. "This place better be worth it." She sighed, giving in.

"It will be."

"_This is kind of weird, Robin?" Raven lowered her hand to the water, letting it trail as the boat moved along._

"_Don't you like it?" He asked worriedly, leaning back but being careful not to bother the paddler._

_Raven bit her lip, eyes gazing at everything from the setting sun being reflected on the still lake water and to the dashing young man across from her. _

"_No, not at all. It's wonderful, all of this. But you didn't really have to go into all this trouble to fix this date up for us…"_

_She was silenced by a finger on her lip. "Raven, I'd do anything for you, alright? Relax, okay?"_

"_Err… sure." She replied. The scene was very romantic, that was certain, but something seemed to be missing._

_She heard Robin breathe deeply, then suddenly, after an instant of shuffling limbs and awkward positions, he was behind her, arms circling around her, cuddling her frame._

_She smiled, leaning back into him. "Thanks."_

_He chuckled quietly. "I've always thought I was softer than a pillow."_

_There was a moment of hesitation, but Raven finally found the courage to blurt it out._

"_I love you."_

_He seemed a bit surprised, but quickly answered._

"_I love you too."_

_She closed her eyes, relaxing in his warmth. He always knew just what to say._

_**The doorknob smiles at me alone**_

_**But will I open the door again**_

They stopped at a large park, with dewdrop grass and occasional benches and lampposts here and there. There were only a few people, most of which consisted of the young, and the in love.

"What's so special about a park?" Raven tried not to be cynical, but she just didn't get the point.

"Patience, little Raven." He grinned, tugging at her hand again. She let herself be led up a small hill connected to the park. Now, they were the only ones there.

"Lie down." He ordered.

"Excuse me? I--…"

"Lie down and see."

Just to humor him, she lay down flat on her back on the grass. What she saw on the evening sky astounded her.

"It's beautiful." She gasped, referring to the hundreds of stars scattered across the inky-black skies.

"Hmm, you are." He muttered as he lay down beside her. She tried to ignore him.

"I've never seen so many stars before." She said instead.

"That's because of the city lights, and the pollution and all." He looked around. "It's amazing how much beauty we miss even though it's just in front of our own eyes." His stare locked with hers.

_**I've seen this happening before**_

**_I've seen myself fall face first on the floor_**

Raven blinked, trying to break contact, but it was hard… no, impossible.

He took her hand in his. She gently shook it away.

"Raven…" There was a pleading tone in it.

"Robin… I…" _'I'm sorry, Robin. I didn't want to do this, I really didn't want to…'_

It seemed like he saw it coming, as he quickly changed the subject.

"Hey look, I think I see Orion over there…" He pointed to the stars.

She sighed inaudibly. This wasn't the end of it, she knew it. She just knew it.

_**Crash and burn**_

_**On the floor**_

_Raven walked quietly through the halls of Titans Tower, which wasn't hard, as she was nimble with all her levitation powers and all._

_She reached Robin's room. The door was wide open, but she knocked anyway._

_The Boy Wonder whipped around in his swivel chair. "Who is it… oh, Raven."_

_She breathed deeply. "Robin, we need to talk."_

_Even though she couldn't see it, she **felt **his eyes dart to his paperwork then back at her, then at the paper clip on the floor, then back at her, then at the newspaper article on the wall, then back at her… and so on. Like he was having trouble meeting her eyes._

"'_Um, Raven, I know it's a bit rude, but I'm kinda busy with the crime files and the paperwork and the city surveillance…"_

"_Robin, I think that's exactly what I want to talk to you about." She paused._

**_So I turn and crash and burn_**

"_That, and about us."_

_His head darted upward, like a person being awakened by smelling salts._

"_W-what do you mean… about us?" He croaked. He sounded nervous, made more obvious as he wringed his hands._

**_Can you hear me talking?_**

**_Can you see me there?_**

"_Robin… I…"_

"_Yeah."_

"_I don't think we should be together anymore. At least, not as of the moment."_

**_Am I getting anything from you?_**

_He bolted from his chair, going towards her two paces at a time until his face was inches from her. His hands, whose knuckles he had been cracking, held her tightly by the shoulder._

"_What are you talking about! Do you even know what you're saying, Rae! Do you! DO YOU?"_

_Now it was her who was having trouble meeting his eyes, which she knew to be a bright, electric blue. She loved seeing them, and she was the only person who ever did see them. She wondered if she would miss it…_

"_Robin, there's no need to shake me…" She said uneasily just as he started to do so. In any other circumstance he would have apologized and blushed, but now he merely let go, harshly._

"_Why Raven? Why are you doing this to me? WHY!" He near-yelled._

_She pulled herself together. "You and I are on a team, Robin. We've been friends for quite a while, and we fight crime side by side and…"_

"_I don't see what this has got to do with us." He stepped back, hurt._

**_Can you hear my whispers?_**

**_Can you see me there?_**

"_It has everything to do with us!" She cried out in frustration. "Don't you get it? Don't you see that city heroes like us can't multitask! We can't do two very important things at a time! When we fight crime and get all busy, we have no time for each other. And when we do… well, we almost never do, because we have an obligation to protect this city! It should be our first priority!"_

"Listen, Robin," she said as she stood up. He did so too. "It was great getting to see you, and getting together with you, but I have to go. I'll…"

She broke off as he pulled her against him, a hand on the small of her back and the other threading through her long, silken hair. "Raven…"

"_Raven, you know we can make it work…" He said softly, taking her hand._

_**Coz I'd be lost**_

_**I'd be lost without you**_

"Robin, I…" She knew she should push him away, she knew she should not be doing this, she knew it… but he was so close, and he smelled musky and heavy and incredibly alluring, and she had no time to think of these things as he pushed his lips against hers, softly, but firmly at the same time. It was a kiss that she remembered…

_**Forever envelopes my days**_

_**Gasping for air as I look for an escape**_

"_Robin, you're making this hard." She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to keep the tears from spilling, but when she opened them, again two hot trails of water went down her cheeks. She jerked her hand away and put her hood over her head, turning around._

She moaned, but that seemed to urge him on. She actually had to use her powers to push him away, as her entire body turned to jelly in his arms. She glared at him, panting slightly.

"You shouldn't have done that," she said darkly.

"Raven, I don't see why you don't want his as much as I do. Now, we have lives apart from our duty to the city, there's nothing more to distract us… but each other…" He pulled her towards him again, but she squirmed out of his grasp.

"You don't understand, Robin. I… I can't… not anymore…" Her voice trembled dangerously.

His brow creased. "Why? Why not Raven? What else is there to worry about?"

"Robin, you don't understand…"

"What's there to understand?"

"_Raven, please…"_

"_No, Robin."_

_**I'm drowning in a letter made to stay**_

_**I took one look away**_

And there, in a place called Seventh Heaven Park, under the starlit sky, standing approximately one meter away from him, she finally got the courage to say it out loud.

"Robin…

"I'm getting married."

"_It's over."_

_**This song's about you**_

_**Cause I still do**_

-

**a/n: **Surprised?

Well, me too!

Yes, I am a sadist.

Now, where were we?

REVIEW! Or you're not seeing the last and final chapter three!

Once again, REVIEW! You know you want to… hehehe…


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